Mine-car cager



J. A. NOLAN.

MINE CAR CAGE R.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1919.

1,337,945. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

4. 20 J? 6 9 1 J8 8 2 2, izy' 23 1M James/L/Ydan JAMES A. NOLAN, OF BOWERSTON, OHIO.

1YIINE-CAR OAGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed November 3, 1919. Serial No. 335,345.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Lines A. NOLAN, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Bowerstom; in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Mine-Oar (lagers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to means designed to automatically feed mine cars to a cage or dump, at the bottom, top or intermediate landings of a mine; to automatically stop cars on a cage or. dump in position for hoisting or dumping.

One of the main objects of theinvention is. to provide a caging apparatus of 6X? tremely simple construction and operation which may be readily installed at small cost. A further object is to provide means whereby the horns or stops may be permitted a comparatively great amount of movement, cushioning means being associated with these stops for absorbing shocks and jars incident to stopping of a loaded mine car so as to prevent injury to cars and the apparatus. Another object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby thestops are eftectually'secured against accidental movement out of operative position. Further objects will appear from the detailed description. i

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the caging apparatus as applied.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the operating shaft turned to move the stops; into outer or inoperative position.

This invention is intended more particularly, as an improvement over the prior apparatuses of this general character disclosed in my United States Patents Numbers 911,298, 1,1443%. 1,254,621 and 1,301,732, dated February 2, 1919, June 29th, 1915, January 22, 1918 and April 22, 1919, respectively, and the pending application. In the apparatus disclosed by the patents the horns or stops are operated by means of a collar which is secured on the shaft, this collar being connected to the horns by means of connecting. rods, andithe .horns being cushioned by coil springs. I have found by experience that this construction does not permit sufficiently great movement of the stops to obtain the desired cushioning effect cars to be readily absorbed.

for stopping loaded mine cars and the apparatus is therefore subjected to undesirable .jfarsand strains. The primary object of the present invention is to so connect the stops to I the operating shaft as to permit comparasection is roekably mounted in suitable bearings between, and parallel with, rails 2 of a track section A. This shaft is provided, at the end thereof which is positioned adjacent the cage pit, with a trip arm 3 seemed to the shaft and adapted to be engaged by a member on the cage for rocking the shaft in a clockwise direction as considered in Fig. 2. This arm may be of hinged construction as illustrated, or any preferred type of arm may be emploved. At its other end the shaft is'provided with an arm 1 secured thereon having a pin 5 to which is secured one end of a tension spring 6 the other end of which is secured to one of the rails at 7. This spring is so disposed that, when the shaft is turned into either one of itsoperative positions, the line of tension will pass either above or below the axis of the shaft thus holding it in rocked adjustment, the spring also assisting in turning the shaft, as will be understood.

A sleeve 8 conforming in cross section to shaft 1 is slidably mounted upon the shaft and is provided at its opposite sides. with outwardly extending fingers 9 and 9. Each of these fingers is provided with a hole 10 which receives a pin 11 inserted through a U-member 12 secured on the inner end of a connecting rod 13 upon the outer end of which is secured a similar member 14 pivotally secured by a pin 15 to the lower end of an arcuate arm 16 extending from a sleeve 17 mounted upon a supporting shaft 18 which is supported by brackets 19 secured to the outer face of the web portion of rail 2, this shaft being disposed in parallelism with the rail. A horn or stop member 20 extends from the upper portion of sleeve 17 and is so related thereto as to project over'the tread'2 of rail 2 when the shaft 1 is in normal position. When thus positioned the stops are so placed as to be struck by the wheels of a mine car traveling upon the tracks 2 toward the cage, or in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 2, the lower face of stop 20, when in operative position, rests upon the upper face of tread 2 of the rail. The impact of the car wheels striking the stop is thus transmitted, to a certain extent, to the ra'l so that bending or distortion of supporting shaft 18 s prevented, the stop sliding along the rail upon the shaft.

' Sleeve 17 is normally positioned adjacent the outer bracket 19, being held in this position by a strong expansion coil spring 21 mounted about supporting shaft 18 and confined between sleeve 17 and the inner bracket 19. These springs may be used on the other end of the shaft 18, that is, between the stops and the outer bracket 19. As the sleeve 8 is freely slidable upon shaft 1 in' either direction, the stops 20 are free to move a comparatively great distance upon the supportin shafts 18 toward the inner brackets 19, that is in the direction in which the car, the wheels of which strike the stops is moving. This permits the car to be brought to a stop while absorbing practically all jars and strains, by means of springs 21, incident to this stopping of the car. In the other forms of my apparatuses disclosed in my patents above referred to, this comparatively great movement of the stops and consequent elimination of jars and strains is not possible due to the fact that the connecting rods, are attached at their inner ends to a collar or sleeve which is fixed upon the shaft. By providing loose conections a certain amount of movement of the stops is possible but I have found that the comparatively great free sliding movement of the stops which is so desirable cannot be well obtained unless the collar or sleeve upon the operating shaft is also freely slidable. In the present construction, this sleeve'is made slidable for the reasons above noted, and all tendency of binding of the stops upon the supporting shafts or of the sleeve 8 upon the operating shaft is eliminated due to the fact that the connecting rods 13 are positioned at opposite sides of the sleeve and travel at equal rates of speed with the stops. 1 have found this construc tion to be a decided improvement in this type of apparatus as eliminating all excessive ars' and strains and insuring ease and accuracy of operation of the apparatus while also reducing danger of breakage or damage to a minimum. 7

As will be understood, the operating shaft 1 is shown in its normal position, the stops 20 being positioned to engage the wheels of a car upon tracks 2 so as to stop and hold the same. Upon descent of-the cage shaft 1 is rocked through themedium of arm 8 in such direction as to rock the steps outwardly thus releasing the car which travels by ends adjacent one of the car approaches the cage, the flange or' face of one of the wheels engages a tripping lever 22 pivotally mounted intermediate its the rails, 2, this lever being connected by a chain 22 to a turning arm 23 secured upon shaft 1 so that, when the outer end of the lever is rocked outwardly away from the rail, the shaftis turned or rocked so as to return stops 20 to their normal position for catching and holdthe succeeding car upon rails 2. This operation is now well known in this art and need not be further described in detail.

It is very desirable that the stops shall be locked rigid upon the rails when in a holding position, therefore an angle or bar as is so placed, that when the finger 9 of the sleeve. 8, shall reach a position slightly belowthe horizontal, the finger 9 shall rest upon the bar 24, thus limiting the movement of the shaft in a releasing direction. This provides very simple and efficient means for effectually preventing accidental movement of the stops into inoperative position, while also providing means for limiting movement or rocking of the operating shaft in releasing direction, movement of the shaft in the opposite or holding direction being limited by engagement of the stops with the rails.

As will be understood it may be found desirable in' practice to resort to slight variations in details of construction and arrangement of the different parts of my invention, and I intend to include all such variations, as fallwithin'the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft, slidably mountedstops, operating connections between said stops and the shaft adapted to permit free sliding of the stops in either direction, and means for cushioning movement of the stops.

2. In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft, slidably mounted stops, operating connections between said stops and the shaft adapted to permit free sliding of the stops in either direction, and m ans for holding said stops in normal position and for cushioning movement of the stops in one direction.

3. In caging means, an operating shaft,

slidably mounted stops, operating connecmovement in a direction substantially parallel with said shaft, operating connections between said stops and the shaft, and connections being connected to said shaft for free sliding movement longitudinally thereof, and means for cushioning movement of the stops.

In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft, slidably and rockably mounted stops having sliding movement substantially parallel with the shaft, operating connections between said stops and said shaft adapted to permit sliding move ment of the stops independently of the shaft, and means for cushioning sliding movement of said stops.

6. In caging means, an operating shaft, stops mounted for movement independently of the shaft, operating connections between said stops and the shaft adapted to permit relatively great independent movement of the stops when struck by the wheel of. a car, and means for cushioning said movement of the stops.

7, In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft, rockal'ly mounted stops, said stops being also mounted for sliding movement parallel with the shaft, a member connected to the shaft for turning movement therewith and freely slidable longitudinally of the shaft, connections betwee said member and the stops for rocking the latter in accordance with rocking of said shaft, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of said stops.

8. In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft, rockably mounted stops, said stops being also mounted for sliding movement parallel with the shaft, a member slidably mounted on said shaft and connected to the same for turning movement therewith, connections between said member and the stops for rocking the latter in accordance with rocking of said shaft, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of said stops.

9. In caging means, a rockably mounted operating shaft of polygonal cross section, rockably mounted stops, said stops being also mounted for sliding movement parallel with the shaft, a sleeve fitting about said shaft for turning movement therewith and slidable on the shaft, operating connections between said sleeve and the stops for rocking said stops in accordance w' h. rocking of the shaft, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of said steps.

10. In caging means, in combination with a track section, an operating shaft, stops mounted adjacent the rails of said track section and movable into and out of position to extend across the treads of the rails to be struck by the wheels of a car, said stops being also mounted for sliding movement longitudinally of the rails, operating connections between said shaft and the stops adapted to permit comparatively great movement of said stops longitudinally of said rails, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of the stops.

11. in caging means, in combination with a track section, an operating shaft, stops mounted adjacent the rails of said track section and movable into and out of position to extend across the treads of the rails to be struck by the wheels of a car, said stops being also mounted for sliding move ment longitudinally of the rails and being provided upon their inner faces with brace elements adap ed to contact with the faces of the rail treads when the stops are in operative position, operating connections between said shaft and the stops adapted to permit comparatively great movement of said stops longitudinally of said rails, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of the stops.

12. In caging means, in combination with a track section, an operating shaft rockably mounted between the rails of said track section, supporting shafts mounted adjacent and parallel with said rails, stops loose on said supporting shafts so as to be freely slidable thereon and rockable toward and away from the rails, operating connections between said operating shaft and the stops adapted to permit comparatively great sliding movement of said stops upon said operating shafts, and means for cushioning the sliding movement of the stops.

13. In caging means, in combination with a track section, an operating shaft rockably mounted between and parallel with the rails of said track section, pairs of spaced brackets adjacent said rails, supporting shafts mounted in pairs of brackets parallel with the rails, stops mounted on said supporting shafts so as to be freely slidable and rockable thereon, said stops being normally positioned adjacent the outer brackets of said pairs of brackets, a member slidable on the shaft and connected to the same for turning movement therewith, connections between said member and the stops for rocking the latter in accordance with rocking of the shaft, and cushion sgrings mounted about said supporting shafts and confined between the stops and the inner brackets.

14. In caging means, in combination with a track section, stops mounted adjacent the rails of said track section for movement toward and away from the same, an operating shaft, and operating connections between sell shaft and the stops, said connections lin'iiting outward movement of the stops, inward movement of said stops being limited by the rails.

15. In caging means, in combination with a track section, stops mounted adjacent the rails of said track section for movement to= ward and away from the same, an operating shaft, and operating connections between said shaft and the stops, said connections being adapted for preventing accidental outward movement of the stops.

16. In caging means, in combination with a track section, stops mount d adjacent the rails of said track section for movement toward and away from the same, an operating shaft, and operating connections l etween said shaft and the stops, said connections being adapted for p-eventing ascidental outward movement of the stops and also limiting such outward movement.

17. In caging means, in combination with a trad; section, stops mounted adjacent he rails of said track section for movement toward and away from the same, an operating shaft, an d operating connections between said shaft and the stops, said connections preventing outward movement of said stops except by operation of the shaft.

18. In caging means, in combination with a track section, stops mounted adjacent the rails of said track section for movement toward and away from the same, an operating shaft rockably mounted between said raiis and parallel therewith, fingers extending stops to be moved outwardly by rocking of said shaft in proper direction.

3.9.111 ca ing means stoos rockabl' b o 7 l mounted adjacent the raiis of said track sec tion for movement toward and away from the same, an operating shaft rockably mounted between and parallel with the rails, fingers extencing from the shaft at opposite sides thereof, arms depending from said stops, rods having their outer ends pivotally connected to said arms, tfi-members secured to the inner end of said rods, pins connecting said members and the fingers, said fingers being so related to the shaft as to be in horizontal position whenthe stops are in their inner position, and stationary means engaged by, one finger for preventing acci dental outward movement of the stops;

In testimony whereof I my signature.

JAMES A. NOLAN. 

